BRADENTON, Fla. – Victor Arano was an important member of the Phillies' bullpen last season. He recorded a 2.73 ERA in 60 games. He struck out 60 batters, walked 17 and gave up just six homers in 59 1/3 innings.
The previous year, he came up from the minors for a look and gave up just two runs in 10 2/3 innings.
That's a 2.57 ERA in his first 70 big-league games.
In most cases, numbers like these would ensure Arano's roster spot entering the new season.
But the 24-year-old right-hander has struggled so badly this spring that Phillies officials will be hard-pressed to include him when they set their opening day roster in the coming days.
"We weigh track record heavily and lean on it pretty strongly," manager Gabe Kapler said. "However, without an indication that he's feeling confident, it's something to examine closely. You can discount one, two, three outings. It's hard to discount five or six outings of struggle, consecutively."
Arano pitched two-thirds of an inning in Saturday's 5-3 loss to the Pirates. He gave up a hit, a walk and a run. In four innings of work this spring, he has given up 20 runs. He has been tagged for 17 hits, including four homers.
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"By every account, he was outstanding for us the last two years, one of our higher-leverage relievers, a guy we depended on in the biggest situations," Kapler said after the game. "You still also have to pay close attention to what is happening right in front of you and we've seen several outings in a row that are worth really digging into to find out how we can help him.
"I think it's cause to really dig on what's happening for him both mentally and mechanically. I think he's absolutely fine from a physical perspective. His legs are underneath him. He's strong. I think his arm speed is fine.
"But you know, today the ball didn't come out great. It's worth having a conversation with him and really discussing what he needs to get back on track because at this point it hasn't been very effective and I think he knows that. If he was standing next to me right now, he would tell you there's a better performance in there."
Through a translator, Arano indicated that his struggles are mechanical. He said he is struggling to find the release point on his slider, which was an excellent pitch for him last season.
Arano has pitched on back-to-back days -- he gave up a homer to Giancarlo Stanton of the Yankees on Friday night – so he might not get back on the mound Sunday or Monday when the Phils play their final two games in Florida. Without getting on the mound, he won't be able to build the confidence Kapler needs to see to include him on the roster. It's quite possible that Arano will have to clean up his mechanical problems and build some confidence in the minors before getting back to Philadelphia.
The Phillies open the season on Thursday.
Right now, these seven relievers look set in the bullpen:
Hector Neris (R)
David Robertson (R)
Seranthony Dominguez (R)
Pat Neshek (R)
Juan Nicasio (R)
Adam Morgan (L)
Jose Alvarez (L)
If Arano fails to make the club, it could open a spot for either Edubray Ramos or Yacksel Rios.
The Phils could also use Vince Velasquez out of the bullpen for the first week of the season.
Tommy Hunter will open on the injured list.
We'll know in a few days how the bullpen shakes out. Unfortunately for Arano, he's making some final decisions easy for club officials.
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